Dust Collector Fire and Explosion Highlights Need for Combustible Dust Considerations In System DesignA massive fire and explosion in the dust collection system of a New Hampshire wood pellet manufacturer demonstrates the need for adequate system design to prevent combustible dust explosions in general industry.

May 16 2012 – Baghouse.com Editorial | We recently published a news article on Environmental-Expert.com about OSHA’s enforcement actions concerning last year’s combustible dust fire and explosion at the New England Wood Pellet Company’s Jaffrey, New Hampshire wood pellet plant.

On October 20 2011, a combustible dust fire began in the wood pellet cooler, most likely caused by a spark or ember from the pellet hammer mill. The fire then spread through the ductwork throughout the plant, eventually reaching the dust collector causing it to explode. When the collector exploded, the explosion vented through the baghouse’s explosion vents int…

CSB Releases Video Documenting the Blast Damage in West, Texas
On May 3, 2013, U.S. Chemical Safety Board investigator Jerad Denton took a film crew into West, Texas, to document the level of community damage from the fertilizer explosion that killed 14 and injured about 200 others. This 3-minute video shows the devastation.

Also see:New CSB video provides an up-close-and-personal look at damage from the recent Texas plant explosionThe Chemical Safety Board (CSB), the federal agency charged with investigating industrial accidents, recently released a video
underscoring the damage from the ammonium nitrate fertilizer explosion
in West, Texas, that killed 14 people and injured about 200 others.
Narrated by a CSB investigator, the video illustrates the destruction of
schools, residences, a nursing home, playgrounds, and other locations. "The community damage…